Lampa offers several distinct ways to explore art and city history. There is a replica of Michelangelo’s “La Piedad” in both Templo Santiago Apóstol and Biblioteca Municipal de Lampa. The city also has historic collections, a museum with objects from several cultures, and striking details in its streetscape. During your stay, you can explore different themes: sacred art, collections, and architecture.

Church and replicas of “La Piedad”

Templo Santiago Apóstol was built between 1675 and 1685. Its Capilla de la Piedad houses an aluminum-cast replica, mounted above the chapel. It is one of two replicas of Michelangelo’s “La Piedad.” A notice beside the replica states that it was made in August 1960 with the authorization of the Archiprelature of the Vatican Basilica. Biblioteca Municipal also preserves one of the two authorized replicas. The work is thus connected both to the chapel in the temple and to the municipal library’s collection.

Library and Museo Kampac

The library preserves an 1862 map of Peru and a lithograph on linen by historian and geographer Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán. It also displays awards for Enrique Torres Belón, as well as photographs, paintings, and other material about Víctor Humareda Gallegos, the expressionist painter born in Lampa. The collection therefore brings together maps and artistic connections to the city.

Museo Kampac expands on these themes with objects from the Pukara and Colla cultures, as well as artifacts from the Inca period. Its collection also includes a mummy and a kero more than half a meter tall. These specific objects offer a different focus from the map and the material about artists in the library.

To find Biblioteca Municipal: access it from Plaza de Armas via Palacio Municipal. Inside the building, the library is behind a security barrier to the right of the main entrance. Check local access rules before your visit.

Streetscape and directions

Lampa is known as the “Ciudad Rosada.” The nickname refers to historic adobe houses painted with pink Choccorosí or pink clay. The Arquerías de Sillar offer a different focal point: built in 1992, they consist of two sillar arches at the entrance to Lampa. They are decorated with depictions of the Ayarachis of Paratía, as well as images of a vicuña, a condor, and the sun. Together, the houses and arches bring different motifs into the streetscape.

Plaza de Armas is a useful reference point for Capilla de la Piedad and the Osario: both are 100 meters, or a five-minute walk, from Lampa’s Plaza de Armas.

The Criadero de Chinchillas near Lampa

The Criadero de Chinchillas is located near Lampa. The animals are kept in two stable buildings divided into areas for females and males; the facility also has waterers and feeding stations in a well-maintained setting. The Criadero is considered suitable for study visits and family visits where visitors can learn about chinchillas. As conditions may change, check the current situation and visit arrangements before going there.

Discover more destinations: Mañazo, Anapia, Capachica, Puerto Leguía, Tambopata, Juliaca, Ocosuyo, Ayculaca.

For the broader travel overview: Puno.